2022 Recovering beneficiary health follow-ups from the public welfare program Auxílio Brasil in a southern Brazilian state: strategies and results
 
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1
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
 
2
Secretaria Estadual da Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
 
 
Publication date: 2023-04-27
 
 
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A918
 
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: In 2003, the Brazilian government created the public welfare program “Bolsa Família”, currently called “Auxílio Brasil”, which enables impoverished families to access governmental financial aid. Nonetheless, to receive the aid, the beneficiaries must attend a primary care unit to receive vaccination, anthropometry, and prenatal care. Thereupon, a greater number of follow-ups furthers public primary health care access of lower-income Brazilians. The study aimed to analyze health conditionality follow-ups from 2011 to the first half of 2022 in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Methods: The data regarding the “Auxílio Brasil” Program execution was extracted from a Brazilian open access health care database, e-Gestor. The percentage of program beneficiaries who accessed health follow-ups was analyzed, from 2011 to June, 2022. Additionally, the justifications for lack of follow-ups were summarized for analysis. Results: The percentage of beneficiaries that accessed the health follow-ups in the state increased 8% from 2011 to June, 2022. However, there was a significant decrease in follow-ups to 47,1%, in 2020. The follow-up percentage increased in 2021 (63%) and in the first half of 2022 (70,8%), reaching a 23,7% increase since 2020. The most frequent justifications for the lack of follow-up were: incorrect information registry, difficulty to access a primary care center, and lack of capacitated health professionals in these services. Conclusions: The “Auxílio Brasil” Program, beyond conceding financial aid to socially vulnerable Brazilians, enables a greater access to public primary health care, improving, among other things, vaccination and prenatal care rates. Considering that the access to healthcare relies on health follow-ups, it’s necessary to ascertain the reasons why beneficiaries aren’t being followed-up, thereby taking precise action to guarantee the access to primary health care among the most vulnerable.
ISSN:2654-1459
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